Dowel system

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for supporting a level of a concrete element relative to an adjacent concrete element, the apparatus including a dowel for transferring load from the concrete element to the adjacent concrete element and a dowel support for supporting the dowel relative to a casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete, wherein the dowel support is formed of corrosion free material.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of AustralianPatent Application No. 2021221651, filed Aug. 25, 2021, the entirecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a dowel system for supporting aconcrete panel in alignment with an adjacent concrete panel and, morespecifically, but not exclusively, to a dowel system for use inresidential pavements.

BACKGROUND

It has been previously proposed to provide a dowel system for supportinga concrete element in line with an adjacent concrete element. Inparticular, it has been proposed to provide a dowel system formaintaining vertical alignment of adjacent panels in a concreteresidential pavement for pedestrians. The dowel system may be providedto prevent one concrete element rising relative to an adjacent concreteelement which may result in a tripping hazard for pedestrians.

However, there are various disadvantages with existing dowel systems aspartially explained below.

Examples of the present disclosure seek to obviate or at leastameliorate one or more disadvantages of existing dowel systems. Examplesof the present disclosure provide an improved dowel system forsupporting a concrete element relative to an adjacent concrete element.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided an apparatus for supporting a level of a concrete elementrelative to an adjacent concrete element. The apparatus includes a dowelfor transferring load from the concrete element to the adjacent concreteelement and a dowel support for supporting the dowel relative to acasting bed prior to pouring of the concrete, wherein the dowel supportis formed of corrosion free material.

Preferably, the dowel support is formed of plastic material. Morepreferably, the dowel support is formed by plastic injection moulding.

In a preferred form, the dowel support includes at least one resilientclip for resiliently receiving the dowel for supporting the dowelrelative to the casting bed. More preferably, the dowel support includesa foot arranged to extend along a surface of the casting bed and an armextending upwardly from the foot to support the clip. Even morepreferably, the dowel support includes a series of spaced arms at spacedintervals along a longitudinal axis of the foot.

Preferably, the apparatus includes a pair of like dowel supports and aplurality of dowels, each of the dowels extending between the pair ofdowel supports. More preferably, each of the dowels is supported in anorientation substantially parallel to the casting bed.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided an assembly for supporting a level of a concrete elementrelative to an adjacent concrete element. The assembly includes a dowelfor transferring load from the concrete element to the adjacent concreteelement, a first dowel support for supporting the dowel relative to acasting bed prior to pouring of the concrete, and a second dowel supportfor supporting the dowel relative to the casting bed prior to pouring ofthe concrete, wherein the first dowel support and the second dowelsupport are formed as like parts.

Preferably, the first dowel support supports a first end portion of thedowel, and the second dowel supports at ports a second end portion ofthe dowel. More preferably, the first dowel support includes a resilientsupport portion for receiving the first end portion of the dowel and thesecond dowel support includes a resilient support portion for receivingthe second end portion of the dowel.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided an apparatus for supporting the level of a concrete elementrelative to an adjacent concrete element. The apparatus includes a dowelfor transferring load from the concrete element to the adjacent concreteelement and a dowel support for supporting the dowel relative to acasting bed prior to pouring of the concrete. The dowel support includesa foot and a plurality of cradles for supporting the dowel, each of thecradles being positioned at a different height relative to the foot forinterchangeably supporting the dowel at a different height relative tothe casting bed.

Preferably, the dowel support includes the plurality of cradles atdifferent heights corresponding to predetermined dowel heights fordifferent pavement slab sizes. More preferably, the dowel supportincludes three cradles at heights of 100 mm, 125 mm, and 155 mm relativeto the casting bed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred example of the present disclosure will be described, by wayof a non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a pair of dowels supported by a pair of dowel cradles, inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows for dowels supported by a pair of dowel cradles inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic view of a dowel supported by a pair of dowelcradles across a joint of concrete elements;

FIG. 4 shows detail of an arm of a dowel cradle;

FIG. 5 shows a pair of dowels and a pair of dowel cradles, prior toassembly;

FIG. 6 shows detail of a dowel end supported by a dowel cradle;

FIG. 7 shows a linkage of two dowel cradles to form a longer dowelcradle length;

FIG. 8 shows detail of a dowel supported at each end by a separate dowelcradle;

FIG. 9 shows a range of mounting heights for a dowel when supported bythe dowel cradle; and

FIG. 10 shows perspective views of variations in density of dowellocations along lengths of dowel cradles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the features, devices, and apparatus described herein may beembodied in various forms, the drawings show, and the specificationdescribe certain exemplary and non-limiting embodiments. Not all of thecomponents shown in the drawings and described in the specification maybe required, and certain implementations may include additional,different, or fewer components. Variations in the arrangement and typeof the components; the shapes, sizes, and materials of the components;and the manners of connections of the components may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the claims. Unless otherwiseindicated, any directions referred to in the specification reflect theorientations of the components shown in the corresponding drawings anddo not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Further, terms thatrefer to mounting methods, such as mounted, attached, connected, and thelike, are not intended to be limited to direct mounting methods butshould be interpreted broadly to include indirect and operably mounted,attached, connected and like mounting methods. This specification isintended to be taken as a whole and interpreted in accordance with theprinciples of the present disclosure and as understood by one ofordinary skill in the art.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 10 of the drawings, there is shown anexample embodiment of the present disclosure including a dowel 10 and apair of dowel cradles 12. Disadvantages with various existing dowelsystems may include that the dowel systems may be prone to corrosion,inconvenient/expensive to transport, and/or difficult to adjust.Advantageously, the dowel system of the present disclosure addresses oneor more of these disadvantages of existing dowel systems.

Accordingly, in the example embodiment of the present disclosuredepicted in FIGS. 1 to 10 , there is provided an apparatus 14 forsupporting a level of a concrete element 16 (see FIG. 3 ) relative to anadjacent concrete element 18. The apparatus 14 includes a dowel 10 fortransferring load from the concrete element 16 to the adjacent concreteelement 18 and a dowel support 12 for supporting the dowel 10 relativeto a casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete. The dowel support 12is formed of corrosion-free material. As shown in FIG. 3 , the apparatus14 may be used in conjunction with a crack inducer 36, used for inducinga crack at a desired location to define the concrete elements 16 and 18.

In the example shown, the dowel support 12 is formed of plastic materialsuch that the dowel support 12 will not corrode. The dowel support 12may be formed by plastic injection moulding.

The dowel support 12 includes at least one resilient clip 20 (see FIG. 4) for resiliently receiving the dowel 10 for supporting the dowel 10relative to the casting bed. The dowel support 12 may include a foot 22arranged to extend along a surface of the casting bed and an arm 24extending upwardly from the foot 22 to support the clip 20. As shown inFIG. 5 , the dowel support 12 may include a series of spaced arms 24 atspaced intervals along a longitudinal axis of the foot 22.

As shown most clearly in FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 , and FIG. 10 , the apparatus14 may include a pair of like dowel supports 12 and a plurality ofdowels 10, each of the dowels 10 extending between the pair of dowelsupports 12. Each of the dowels 10 may be supported in an orientationsubstantially parallel to the casting bed. This orientation is clearlyshown in the end view of FIG. 3 where the dowel 10 is supported in ahorizontal orientation parallel to the horizontal casting bed on whichthe concrete elements 16 and 18 have been cast.

Another aspect provides an assembly 26 including a dowel 10 whenassembled together with a pair of dowel supports 12. More specifically,as shown in FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 , and FIG. 10 , there is provided anassembly 26 for supporting a level of a concrete element 16 relative toan adjacent concrete element 18. The assembly 26 includes a dowel 10 fortransferring load from the concrete element 16 to the adjacent concreteelement 18, a first dowel support 12 a and a second dowel support 12 b.The first dowel support 12 a is arranged for supporting one end portionof the dowel 10 relative to the casting bed prior to pouring of theconcrete, and the second dowel support 12 b is arranged for supportingan opposite end portion of the dowel 10 relative to the casting bedprior to pouring of the concrete. The first dowel support 12 a and thesecond dowel support 12 b are formed as like parts. In particular, thefirst dowel support 12 a and the second dowel support 12 b may be formedas identical castings is from a common mould through a process ofplastic injection moulding.

The first dowel support 12 a supports a first end portion 28 of thedowel 10 and the second dowel support 12 b supports a second end portion30 of the dowel 10. The first dowel support 12 a includes a resilientsupport portion 32 for receiving the first end portion 28 of the dowel10 and the second dowel support 12 b includes a resilient supportportion 32 for receiving the second end portion 30 of the dowel 10.

In another aspect, there is provided an apparatus 14 which facilitatesadjustability of a height of the dowel 10 above the casting surface.More specifically, there is provided an apparatus 14 for supporting alevel of a concrete element 16 relative to an adjacent concrete element18, the apparatus 14 including a dowel 10 for transferring load from theconcrete element 16 to the adjacent concrete element 18. The apparatus14 also includes a dowel support 12 for supporting the dowel 10 relativeto a casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete. The dowel support 12includes a foot 22 and a plurality of cradles 34 (see FIG. 9 ) forsupporting the dowel 10. Each of the cradles 34 is positioned at adifferent height relative to the foot 22 for interchangeably supportingthe dowel 10 at a different height relative to the casting bed. Each ofthe cradles 34 is positioned at a different longitudinal axis.

Advantageously, the dowel support 12 includes the plurality of cradles34 at different heights corresponding to predetermined dowel heights fordifferent pavement slab sizes. For example, in the example depicted inFIG. 9 , the dowel support 12 includes three cradles—a first cradle 34 aat a height of 100 mm, a second cradle 34 b at a height of 125 mm andthird cradle 34 c at a height of 155 mm relative to the casting bed.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the dowel support 12 may be provided at either endwith a coupling 38 so that one dowel support 12 is able to beinterlinked with another like dowel support 12 to form a longer lengthof dowel supports, for example where a plurality of dowel supports 12are required to span a width of a pavement being laid.

Corrosion Free Dowel Cradle

Advantageously, examples of the present disclosure may be useful inproviding a corrosion-free dowel and support cage construction. Furtheradvantageous features may include the following:

-   -   Accurate and consistent dowel centres over a long run (up to 4        m).    -   Freestanding chaired construction to suit 100 mm, 125 mm and 150        mm slab heights. Dowels positioned at half the slab height.    -   Causes no restraint but allows for contraction from concrete        shrinkage at a pour through joint.    -   Open profile with larger apertures to avoid crack induction and        to allow good flow of aggregate up to 20 mm.

Modular Flat Pack Construction (Clip Together Onsite)

By virtue of the easy assembly facilitated by the straightforwardcoupling of the dowel 10 to the dowel supports 12, examples of thepresent disclosure may provide the following advantageous features:

-   -   Flat-pack components which can be assembled onsite by installer.    -   Clip together assembly functionality without fasteners or        welding.    -   Securely holds dowels in place and at a level during concrete        pour.    -   Modular length which can be joined in a chain to create larger        runs of dowels.    -   Simple to cut to in-fill lengths if required.

Multiple Configuration Dowel Placement

By virtue of the easy variability in height of the dowel 10 courtesy ofthe cradles 34 being at a range of heights, examples of the presentdisclosure may provide the following advantageous features:

-   -   Standardised multiple slab height chair for all three required        pavement slab sizes (100 mm, 125 mm and 150 mm).    -   Possibility of having multifunctional dowel centre placement        options (for example 150, 300, 450 or 600).    -   Possibility of having different dowel sizes for different slab        heights.    -   Possibility to suit different dowel lengths.

While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample only, and not by way of limitation. It will be apparent to aperson skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form anddetail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure should not belimited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

The reference in this specification to any prior publication (orinformation derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not,and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form ofsuggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it)or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the fieldof endeavour to which this specification relates.

LIST OF NUMBERED FEATURES

-   Dowel 10-   Dowel support/cradle 12-   First dowel support 12 a-   Second dowel support 12 b-   Apparatus 14-   Concrete element 16-   Adjacent concrete element 18-   Resilient clip 20-   Foot 22-   Arm 24-   Assembly 26-   First end portion 28-   Second end portion 30-   Resilient support portion 32-   Cradle 34-   First cradle 34 a-   Second cradle 34 b-   Third cradle 34 c-   Crack inducer 36

1. An apparatus for supporting a level of a concrete element relative toan adjacent concrete element, the apparatus comprising: a dowelconfigured to transfer a load from the concrete element to the adjacentconcrete element; and a dowel support configured to support the dowelrelative to a casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete element andthe adjacent concrete element, wherein the dowel support is formed ofcorrosion free material.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dowelsupport is formed of plastic material.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2,wherein the dowel support is formed by plastic injection moulding. 4.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dowel support includes at leastone resilient clip configured to resiliently receive the dowel tosupport the dowel relative to the casting bed.
 5. The apparatus of claim4, wherein the dowel support includes a foot arranged to extend along asurface of the casting bed and an arm extending upwardly from the footto support the clip.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the dowelsupport includes a series of spaced arms at spaced intervals along alongitudinal axis of the foot.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, whichincludes a pair of like dowel supports and a plurality of dowels, eachof the dowels configured to extend between the pair of dowel supports.8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the dowels is supportableby the dowel supports in an orientation substantially parallel to thecasting bed.
 9. An assembly for supporting a level of a concrete elementrelative to an adjacent concrete element, the assembly comprising: adowel configured to transfer a load from the concrete element to theadjacent concrete element; a first dowel support configured to supportthe dowel relative to a casting bed prior to pouring of the concreteelement and the adjacent concrete element; and a second dowel supportconfigured to support the dowel relative to the casting bed prior topouring of the concrete element and the adjacent concrete element. 10.The assembly of claim 9, wherein the first dowel support is configuredto support a first end portion of the dowel and the second dowel supportis configured to support a second end portion of the dowel.
 11. Theassembly of claim 10, wherein the first dowel support includes aresilient support portion configured to receive the first end portion ofthe dowel and the second dowel support includes a resilient supportportion configured to receive the second end portion of the dowel. 12.An apparatus for supporting a level of a concrete element relative to anadjacent concrete element, the apparatus comprising: a dowel configuredto transfer a load from the concrete element to the adjacent concreteelement; and a dowel support configured to support the dowel relative toa casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete element and the adjacentconcrete element, wherein the dowel support includes a foot and aplurality of cradles each configured to support the dowel, each of thecradles being positioned at a different height relative to the foot tointerchangeably support the dowel at a different height relative to thecasting bed.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the dowel supportincludes the plurality of cradles at different heights.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 13, wherein the dowel support includes three cradlesat heights of 100 mm, 125 mm, and 155 mm relative to the casting bed.